JOHN JOHNSON, third of the children of Swan and Kjerstin Johnson, was born at Wiby, Sweden, on October 6, 1860. He followed his parents on their various journeys — to Chicago in 1868, to Bement, Illinois in 1870, and to Genoa, Nebraska in 1878, living on the farm home one and one-half miles west of Genoa until after his father’s death when he, his mother and younger unmarried children moved to Genoa.
Quite early in life, when about sixteen, he was afflicted with rheumatism. This condition finally became chronic and he was confined to the use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
He had a very cheerful disposition, a very keen mind and a large stock of humor. He always seemed the center of the family, and everybody brought their problems to him. He kept up the correspondence for the family, kept the books and accounts for his two brothers in the general store there, and also for many years kept books for a lumber yard in Genoa.
He drove a horse and buggy around town for many years, and as he was a great friend of all children, he generally had a load of them with him.
His mother cared for him faithfully and lovingly for forty-seven years until he passed away on September 22, 1925. He had a gall bladder operation at Columbus.
John was a devout Christian, a faithful member of the Methodist Church, always attending their services as long as it was possible for him to do so. He was missed more than most of us will be. Someone always pushed his wheelchair to church and wherever he wanted to go. He is buried in the Valley View Cemetery at Genoa, Nebraska.